The Program for Ethnographic Research and Community Studies (PERCS), a multi-disciplinary program for promoting and teaching ethnographic research, will launch this week on the campus of Elon University. Dedicated to the use and teaching of unique methodologies for studying the social and cultural dimensions of human interactions, PERCS will provide resources for faculty, students and researchers to further the use of ethnographic study as a means of understanding our communities and our world.
Through a series of self-guided modules, a database of archived ethnographic research, ethical guidelines for ethnographic methodology, a collection of books on ethnography, and a series of workshops and lectures on ethnographic methods and topics, PERCS will serve as a clearinghouse of information on the proper use of ethnography. Resources and information can be accessed through the PERCS web site – www.elon.edu/percs — as well as through the PERCS office located in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. PERCS steering committee members will also be available for classroom lectures and discussions, and the group has compiled a list of courses at Elon University where students can receive training in ethnographic methodologies.
“Ethnographic research is a unique method for assessing and addressing problems and needs within organizations, communities and entire geographic cultures,” said Tom Mould, assistant professor in Elon’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology and coordinator for PERCS. “Through PERCS, our goal is to gather all of this information into one place, and provide any resources that teachers and researchers would need to utilize ethnography in their field of study.”
For example, Mould says that ethnographic study brings with it its own unique set of challenges and issues in interacting with communities. By compiling ethical guidelines, release forms and teaching modules, PERCS helps ensure that researchers are conducting ethnography properly and following ethical guidelines. Mould says the program also will make it easier to design ethnographic approaches by providing researchers with examples of other ethnographic studies.
Often misused and easily misunderstood, ethnography involves the immersion of a researcher in a particular group or community through participation, observation and qualitative interviewing techniques. The goal is to examine the culture from an insider’s perspective and then interpret those findings for outsiders for the purpose of fostering understanding among and between differing cultures and communities.
Examples of the use of Ethnographic research by PERCS steering committee members include:
- The study of coal-mining communities in Southern Virginia — Ken Hassell, Elon Department of Art
- The study of the struggles of Brazilian female public health care workers — Kim Jones, Elon Department of Sociology and Anthropology
- Documentation of the stories of Hurricane Katrina survivors — Alexa Darby, Elon Department of Psychology
- The study of transgendered people, as well as research on physique competitors – Ann Bolin, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
“It’s important to note that PERCS is a multi-disciplinary program,” said Mould. “That’s why the PERCS steering committee includes faculty from a variety of fields in both the arts and sciences as well as the professional schools. PERCS is a resource for engaged learning across all fields of study.”
Faculty members can learn more about PERCS at the Numen Lumen meeting on March 3, or by visiting the PERCS table at the March 7 College Coffee. In addition, as part of its launch, PERCS is sponsoring three outside speakers for students and faculty to learn more about the use of ethnography methods. The sessions include:
- Monday, March 6: Terese Stratta, assistant professor of Sports Management at Winston Salem State University — “Using Qualitative Research Methods in Sports Research”
- Thursday, March 9: Henry Glassie, professor of Folklore at Indiana University and co-director of Turkish Studies – “A Story of Work and Devotion: The Ethnographer in a Muslim Land”
- Friday, March 10: Pravina Shukla, assistant professor of folklore at Indiana University – “Art & Dress in Modern India”
For additional information on the PERCS program, visit the PERCS web site at www.elon.edu/percs or contact a PERCS steering committee member. The steering committee includes: Tom Mould, Kim Jones, Ann Bolin and Lisa Marie Peloquin from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology; Bird Stasz, Department of Education; Clyde Ellis, Department of History; Ken Hassell, Department of Art; Alexa Darby, Department of Psychology and Lee Bush, School of Communications.